I Books

I highly recommend all the Uncle Eric books. I appreciate learning to think. THese are eye opening and very informative.

I'm not kidding. I've read mises, hayek, rothbard, dawkins, and many other great writers and influential works. But page for page, with its clarity and ability to transform an average uneducated person to almost genius... The logic, peppered with awesome bits of history... This is one of the greatest books of all time. The one-two punch of Richard's Whatever happened to penny candy(about economics) with this book, is perhaps the best gift one can make to a young person just starting out in life and to an adult as well. Just awesome, all the books in the uncle eric series are must haves period. No sequence of easy to read pages can do so much to educate a human being as the uncle eric series.

I thought this book was really interesting and I felt that it presented a logical explanation of why our legal systems are the way they are. I gave it a four because I know some lawyers who told me that the premises in the book are bogus... but they could be wrong.

I have enjoyed this book very much! I had entered a search engine on Amazon.com books to study the differences of liberals and conservatives and purchased this book along with two other books, one from USA Today, by Victor Kamber and Bradley O'Leary, and the other on Moral Politics by George Lakoff, I then read Richard Maybury's book. I next bought Maybury's book on Ancient Rome and then ordered five more. My next book to read was this book, Whatever Happened to Justice?, apparently not the revised version. I really found convincing this book as accurate in historical truth in regards to the original political model set by Hamilton, Jefferson, Henry, Adams & etc. This is the first time I've read a critical difference between democracy and liberty and the argument for the later. While Democracy is majority rule, it is whatever the mob or majority decides, where as Liberty is based on the two eternal, multi-religious, multi-culture laws of "Do all you have agreed to do," and "Do not encroach on other persons or their property.". Now that's ecstasy for me.


The information on the differences between the old British Common Law and Political Law. Now this is significant, as Common Law is based on the above two maxims, while Political Law is on whatever the government decides, whether it be a monarchy, fascist, socialistic or democratic - the government creates the laws. Common Law, the two maxims, are historical science, laws higher than man's; laws of nature itself.


This book lucidly and simplistically explains the origins of government, that is, the thoughts and conceptions of the founding American government; Jefferson, Hamilton, Adams, the ideas of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists, are some of the most lucid and clearest explanations I have ever read on this subject. I can't help but agree that the unregulated free trade, with limited government, employing the two multi-religious, multi-cultural maxims - two basic common laws - would bring the founding fathers ideal towards the reality of a Pythagorean harmonious exchange of prosperity and liberty. The ideas of liberty takes precedence over democracy.

And so now I'm very interested in reading Mr. Maybury's books on WWI and WWII. As I found a review on the bluestockingpress website from one reviewer named Harry Browne. Now that's got to be the Harry Browne who ran for President (Libertarian)! A person whose thoughts I happen to admire. And I have read many of his online articles on WWI and WWII in the past and was always so impressed. It appears that Richard Maybury's book has been the excellent source.

Mr. Maybury does a wonderful job of explaining the differences between natural "scientific" law (also known as "common law") which can be discovered because it is universal and given by God, and resides universally in the hearts of men, and "political law" which is created by men and which almost always violates Maybury's Two Laws (which form the basis of scientific common law): 1) Do all you have agreed to do; and 2) Do not encroach upon another's person or property. Maybury then illustrates how much of the current social and even economic problems we now experience are due to the erosion of natural common law. I agree with him wholeheartedly.

I subtract one star for the following reason: Maybury is close to greater light, but loses it by embracing the enlightenment thinking that exalts the reason of man to such a degree that it shares the throne or even eclipses the acknowlegment of God. When we forget God, and cease to be grateful, our downfall is assured. I believe enlightenment thinking was our first unwitting step down as a nation. The two laws which Mr. Maybury advances are very good ones, but they are less than the two laws upon which all else hangs: 1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; and 2) Love your neighbor as yourself.

I do not think Mr. Maybury has forgotten God, and he cannot be accused of being ungrateful - for he loves this country and recognizes our unique blessings, but his enlightenment thinking is slightly off the mark. As an example of this, I cite Mr. Maybury's correct assertion that right-to-life questions are of utmost importance - as the ultimate violation of encroachment against another's person. However, and true to his enlightenment thinking, he grounds our natural right to life in our intelligence (which is surely one of the attributes of God we share, but which is fallen). Logically, Maybury goes on to question what degree of intelligence would be required before our right to life would no longer be protected by common law! I quote from page 117 of Maybury's book: "Rights seem to be attached to intelligence. But we don't know what level of intelligence, or how to measure it. To be within the protection of the law, how smart is smart enough?" This sums up the weakness of the book to my mind. I would argue that the right to life is not grounded in our intelligence, but in our humanity created in the image of God.

Incidentally, I am a lawyer and also the mother of a child who suffers from autism. Under Maybury's reasoning, my child's right to life is more questionable than his siblings and mine because of his reduced mental capacity. If I have learned anything from my autistic son, it is that human life is valuable because it is made in God's image, even though the image is marred by our fallen state.

Still, I am grateful to Mr. Maybury for his valuable book and I intend to use it in the education of my children.

This book is perfect. It is perfectly written and the story perfectly told. There are moments when you feel joy for the author, but there are also moments when you are heartbroken because of the battles that she must fight. However, through it all you learn that she will always continue to fight for the things that she believes in. It is an amazing story that shows we all must continue fighting are own daily struggles. The book was an inspiration to me and I must thank Sally for having the ability to inspire. I cannot express enough the impact that this book has had on me. It would be a cruel injustice for someone to miss the opportunity to read this book. It can help no matter what type of situation you are dealing with.

While I was walking is like having a peek into someone's journal. Sally Russo expertly chronicles a period of her life with honesty and raw truth. A must read for anyone needing inspiration through tough times. And a big Aplus for the truth about Lyme Disease and how it is NOT be handled by our country's doctors so well.

Sally the book is amazing and I could not be more proud of you. I am so impressed with how well you are able to open up and tell your story of stuggles and the way you are persevering. You truly are an insperation to all. I wish nothing but success and happiness for you so don't give up and keep up with the fantastic writing!

What a remarkable story illustrated in such a vivid way. Sally's fight & passion for life is so touching, and her story truly made me realize how important the simplicities of life are. Sally's struggles and challenges have sculpted her into a very strong and brave young woman. I would highly recommend this story for all ages!

No surprises here. I couldn't put the book down. Sally is and always has been an extremely strong and determined person. This book evidences how she has persevered through things in life that would have made many of us give up. I commend her for turning these life experiences into positive ones to share and educate those around her. This book can be read by any college bound student, any parent with college bound children, and any person or parent who has experienced these same tragedies. It is truly an inspiration to take this journey with Sally through her writing, teaching the reader that it is possible to move on and face life head on to conquer any obstacle. Not only does it address her emotional distress while in college, she then addresses her next obstacle of facing a life altering disease yet still presses on. This book may open the eyes of some people experiencing these same unexplained health problems leading to, and in some cases, masking Lyme Disease and perhaps face them in the right direction. If nothing else, this book can make many others feel that they are not alone. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. I cried a lot and laughed some but all in all, I am so proud that Sally is doing better and has chosen to own this journey and share it with the world.

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (12/07)

My usual reaction to this kind of self-help book is somewhere along the lines of, "And exactly what does he/she thinks he/she knows about MY marriage?" More often than not, I either find them all too preachy or too simplistic to help me solve any particular problems I might have encountered in my personal life, so they end up in a book swap meeting or a book swap site. Ms. Bartlein's "Why Did I Marry You Anyway?" seemed to be different from the very start and after I read it, I immediately found a permanent place for it in my collection.

My attention was first caught by title - "Why Did I Marry You Anyway?" By the time I read the subtitle, "Overcoming the Myths That Hinder a Happy Marriage," I was definitely intrigued. If you are married and if you are totally honest with yourself, I bet there were times in your life when you asked yourself the exact same question. There are moments when we are not so sure that we made the right decision or simply moments when we look at our beloved partner and have to wonder where in the world - or even the outer realm - did this particular behavior came from and what did the person in front of us do with our normally sweet husband and wife.

Ms. Bartlein cleverly touches on most common problem areas in a marriage; such as money, sex, children, annoying personal habits, in-laws, lack of shared interests and more. Offering tools for recognition of issues as well as the resolution of them, each chapter includes real-life examples, absolutely hilarious quotes and thought-provoking myths that could potentially harm your relationship. Unlike most other books, the examples and patterns listed by Ms. Bartlein definitely made me pay attention and I had to admit that - oh wonder of wonders! - I was not perfect and that I was actually guilty of several quite distinct behavioral patterns. Which ones? Well, I am definitely a stamp collector - but if you want to find out what that means in terms of marriage, you'll have to get the book and read it for yourself. It is most probably NOT what you are imagining right now...

I found Barbara Bartlein's "Why Did I Marry You Anyway?" a very informative and down-to-Earth guide to improving a marriage; and as such I would highly recommend it to anybody who sincerely desires a happy relationship with their spouse. Just leave it on the table and see how quickly he - or she - will react to the title... Joking aside, this is truly a keeper; and a book that might well improve other aspects of your life besides your marriage.

I read this book in one day and laughed out loud hundreds of times. I enjoyed the author's comments about her husband and raising her kids. She is an experienced marriage counselor and she tells her observations in general, along with stories of clients who have asked her for help. She was very sincere and down to earth. Her advice is practical and the recommendations are ones that any man or woman can use in his or her marriage. I would recommend this book to anyone who has been married for a year or longer. Single people would not appreciate the jokes.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for quick tips to make marriage easier. It's a quick read, and really gets to the point quickly. The tips provided are realistic and easy to implement. The examples in the book are practical though not all may apply. It's simple to skip to parts that do apply to you. This author gives the impression that she is very open, honest and really wants her tips to help. I would buy this book again.

Married just under two months, I found myself laughing out loud in the doctor's office and waking my husband from his sleep to share the laughter of Charlie Oatmeal's latest tomfoolery. This book has two outstanding qualities: it's real and it's funny. Barbara Bartlein forces us to step down from our high horses and take a look in the mirror in a way that isn't threatening. She's genuine in admitting her own guilt and struggle every step of the way. Secondly, if she doesn't make you laugh, her husband certainly will. I felt a deep connection not only with Bartlein and her husband, but with all married couples. It has provoked countless discussions between my husband and I and inspired me to let things roll off my back and keep things in their proper perspective. It's easy to pick up and tough to set down- a book I'm certainly going to keep around for when the laundry pile is higher and the load a bit heavier. There's something in this book for everyone! You'll find yourself shaking your head often.

While on a long car trip, my husband notice me reading Barbara Barlein's Why Did I Marry You Anyway? To help pass the time, he suggested I read it aloud. I was amazed at his interest and his desire for me to stop and discuss passages with him. He even stated that he was getting a lot out of it. Many issues we had never discussed came to the fore and were patiently worked out. I was very impressed, not only with the material presented in this book, but in the fun way it was presented and the ease that it could be used as a basis for good discussion.

If you are interested in the history of the International Left in the first half of the 20th century or are a militant trying to understand some of the past lessons of our history concerning the communist response to various social and labor questions this book is for you. I have reviewed elsewhere Trotsky's writings published under the title The Left Opposition, 1923-1929 (in three volumes) dealing with Trotsky's internal political struggles for power inside the Russian Communist Party (and by extension, the political struggles inside the Communist International) in order to save the Russian Revolution. This book is part of a continuing series of volumes in English of his writings from his various points of external exile from 1929 up until his death in 1940. These volumes were published by the organization that James P. Cannon, early American Communist Party and later Trotskyist leader founded, the Socialist Workers Party, during the 1970's and 1980's. (Cannon's writings in support of Trotsky's work are reviewed elsewhere in this space). Look in the see all my reviews aection in this space for other related reviews on and by this important world communist leader.

After the political defeat of the various Trotsky-led Left Oppositions 1923 to 1929 by Stalin and his state and party bureaucracy he nevertheless found it far too dangerous to keep Trotsky in Moscow. He therefore had Trotsky placed in internal exile at Ata Alma in the Soviet Far East in 1928. Even that turned out to be too much for Stalin's tastes and in 1929 he arranged for the external exile of Trotsky to Turkey. Although Stalin probably rued the day that he did it this exile was the first of a number of places which Trotsky found himself in external exile. Other places included, France, Norway and, finally, Mexico where he was assassinated by a Stalinist agent in 1940. As these volumes, and many others from this period attest to, Trotsky continued to write on behalf of a revolutionary perspective. Damn, did he write. Some, including a few of his biographers, have argued that he should have given up the struggle, retired to who knows where, and acted the role of proper bourgeois writer or professor. Please! These volumes scream out against such a fate, despite the long odds against him and his efforts on behalf of international socialist revolution. Remember this is a revolutionary who had been through more exiles and prisons than one can count easily, held various positions of power and authority in the Soviet state and given the vicissitudes of his life could reasonably expect to return to power with a new revolutionary upsurge. Personally, I think Trotsky liked and was driven harder by the long odds.

The political prospects for socialist revolution in the period under discussion were, to say the least, rather bleak, or ultimately turned out that way. The post-World War I revolutionary upsurge has dissipated leaving Soviet Russia isolated. Various other promising revolutionary situations, most notably the aborted German revolution of 1923 that would have gone a long way to saving the Russian Revolution, had come to nought. In the period under discussion there is a real sense of defensiveness about the prospects for revolutionary change. The specter of fascism loomed heavily and we know at what cost to the international working class. The capitulation to fascism by the German Communist and Social Democratic Parties in 1933, the defeat of the heroic Austrian working class in 1934, the defeat in Spain in 1939, and the outlines of the impending Second World War colored all political prospects, not the least Trotsky's.

Organizationally, Trotsky developed two tactical orientations. The first was a continuation of the policy of the Left Opposition during the 1920's. The International Left Opposition as it cohered in 1930 still acted as an external and unjustly expelled faction of the official Communist parties and of the Communist International and oriented itself to winning militants from those organizations. After the debacle in Germany in 1933 a call for new national parties and a new, fourth, international became the organizational focus. Many of the volumes here contain letters, circulars, and manifestos around these orientations. The daunting struggle to create an international cadre and to gain some sort of mass base animate many of the writings collected in this series. Many of these pieces show Trotsky's unbending determination to make a breakthrough. That these effort were, ultimately, militarily defeated during the course of World War Two does not take away from the grandeur of the efforts. Hats off to Leon Trotsky.

As to the 1929-33 Supplement the reviewer recommends a careful reading of the following articles: Tactics in the USSR (on how the opposition should conduct its propaganda campaign toward the rank and file of the Russian Communist Party); Prospects of the Communist League of America (on the internal difficulties facing the leadership and how to keep it from wreaking the fragile organization in the `dog days' of its existence), Andreas Nin and Victor Serge (notes on two key Left Oppositionists who would later break ranks with Trotsky): On an Entry into the SAP (an important organizational article on the tactics of revolutionary regroupment with forces moving to the left of the Socialist and Communist Parties in Germany); and Trouble in the French Section (how the personal squabbles of a propaganda group paralyze a small organization).

This is a fascinating collection, well worth taking time to read and study. It's the first in a 14-volume collection of writings by Leon Trotsky, one of the central leaders of the 1917 Russian Revolution. This one has over 75 articles, letters and interviews written between February and December 1929.

This volume opens just as Trotsky was expelled from the Soviet Union by the bureaucratic misleaders headed by Joseph Stalin, who were increasingly fearful of any political debate in the country. Trotsky had been leading a political fight to reorient the Soviet Communist Party back to the revolutionary course it had followed in the early years of the revolution, before the death of V.I. Lenin. His writings here take up new developments in the Soviet Union, the challenges facing revolutionists -- especially clarifying their political perspectives and tasks under unexpected and difficult conditions, as well as major developments in world politics. Trotsky's dogged, realistic optimism in the possibility and necessity of working class victories and his determination to do all in his power to advance this struggle is really inspiring!

This volume contains lessons crucial for those committed to the goal of emancipating working people and oppressed nations.

The workers movement of that time was misled by parties - social democratic and fake communist -- which preferred imperialist "democracy" over workers revolution. This allowed fascism to triumph and, together with "democratic" imperialism, brought us the second world war which slaughtered tens of millions and included the U.S. - supposedly the most "democratic" imperialists - initiating the threat of human extinction with the nuclear bombing of Japan.

Trotsky explains how Lenin's program could have resulted in workers victories over capitalism all over Europe, as well as the overthrow of the murderous Stalin regime and the regeneration of the Soviet Union on a course of world revolution and workers democracy.

Studying Trotsky's writings today is timely as imperialism is again on the march toward fascism and war.

If you are interested in the history of the International Left in the first half of the 20th century or are a militant trying to understand some of the past lessons of our history concerning the communist response to various social and labor questions this book is for you. I have reviewed elsewhere Trotsky's writings published under the title The Left Opposition, 1923-1929 (in three volumes) dealing with Trotsky's internal political struggles for power inside the Russian Communist Party (and by extension, the political struggles inside the Communist International) in order to save the Russian Revolution. This book is part of a continuing series of volumes in English of his writings from his various points of external exile from 1929 up until his death in 1940. These volumes were published by the organization that James P. Cannon, early American Communist Party and later Trotskyist leader founded, the Socialist Workers Party, during the 1970's and 1980's. (Cannon's writings in support of Trotsky's work are reviewed elsewhere in this space). Look in the archives in this space for other related reviews on and by this important world communist leader.


After the political defeat of the various Trotsky-led Left Oppositions 1923 to 1929 by Stalin and his state and party bureaucracy he nevertheless found it far too dangerous to keep Trotsky in Moscow. He therefore had Trotsky placed in internal exile at Ata Alma in the Soviet Far East in 1928. Even that turned out to be too much for Stalin's tastes and in 1929 he arranged for the external exile of Trotsky to Turkey. Although Stalin probably rued the day that he did it this exile was the first of a number of places which Trotsky found himself in external exile. Other places included, France, Norway and, finally, Mexico where he was assassinated by a Stalinist agent in 1940. As these volumes, and many others from this period attest to, Trotsky continued to write on behalf of a revolutionary perspective. Damn, did he write. Some, including a few of his biographers, have argued that he should have given up the struggle, retired to who knows where, and acted the role of proper bourgeois writer or professor. Please! These volumes scream out against such a fate, despite the long odds against him and his efforts on behalf of international socialist revolution. Remember this is a revolutionary who had been through more exiles and prisons than one can count easily, held various positions of power and authority in the Soviet state and given the vicissitudes of his life could reasonably expect to return to power with a new revolutionary upsurge. Personally, I think Trotsky liked and was driven harder by the long odds.

The political prospects for socialist revolution in the period under discussion are, to say the least, rather bleak, or ultimately turned out that way. The post-World War I revolutionary upsurge has dissipated leaving Soviet Russia isolated. Various other promising revolutionary situations, most notably the aborted German revolution of 1923 that would have gone a long way to saving the Russian Revolution, had come to nought. In the period under discussion there is a real sense of defensiveness about the prospects for revolutionary change. The specter of fascism loomed heavily and we know at what cost to the international working class. The capitulation to fascism by the German Communist and Social Democratic Parties in 1933, the defeat of the heroic Austrian working class in 1934, the defeat in Spain in 1939, and the outlines of the impending Second World War colored all political prospects, not the least Trotsky's.

Organizationally, Trotsky developed two tactical orientations. The first was a continuation of the policy of the Left Opposition during the 1920's. The International Left Opposition as it cohered in 1930 still acted as an external and unjustly expelled faction of the official Communist parties and of the Communist International and oriented itself to winning militants from those organizations. After the debacle in Germany in 1933 a call for new national parties and a new, fourth, international became the organizational focus. Many of the volumes here contain letters, circulars, and manifestos around these orientations. The daunting struggle to create an international cadre and to gain some sort of mass base animate many of the writings collected in this series. Many of these pieces show Trotsky's unbending determination to make a breakthrough. That these effort were, ultimately, militarily defeated during the course of World War Two does not take away from the grandeur of the efforts. Hats off to Leon Trotsky.

This is one of a 14-volume series of writings by Leon Trotsky, who along with V.I. Lenin was a central leader of the 1917 Russian Revolution. These volumes cover the years 1929-1940, when Trotsky led the political fight world-wide to maintain the continuity of Bolshevik's revolutionary perspective and leadership against the reactionary policies imposed by the Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union. Reading Trotsky carefully, one can learn a lot about history and about today's world, as well as how to apply Marxist methods to orient oneself for working-class political action.

This volume includes more than 100 articles and letters. They cover topics ranging from the economic depression and the rising inter-imperialist tensions leading to World War II, to the Stalinist frame-up trials in the Soviet Union, the Spanish Civil War, and detailed leadership questions posed in workers movements in different countries at the time. These volumes are lively, pointed and have extensive notes and chronologies to aid the reader today.

I'd also recommend some other titles written by Trotsky at this time, including The History of the Russian Revolution, The Fight Against Fascism in Germany, Trade Unions in the Epoch of Imperialist Decay, and The Transitional Program for Socialist Revolution, all available from the same publisher, Pathfinder Press.

This book is an invaluable reference and great educational tool for collectors of ancient coins. It explains many aspects of the field in an academic but witty style. Very readable text, also contains lots of reference material indexed for additional study of specific areas of research. A "must have" for those new to this area of collecting.

This is a good introductory book to ancient coin collecting. Getting one's feet wet in this are of numismatics, is a touchy thing in this day of on line auctions...where forgeries are easily sold as authentic. Book covers most everything a numismatist new to this field could want, online help, types, forgeries, authentication, caveats, etc. Good read for the newbie in ancients.

This is something of a potpourri of ancient coin information. It doesn't make a good reference work, per se; there are other books, etc. to purchase when you settle on your collecting theme. It is a great background resource, though, and helped me to clarify my own collecting themes.

As a collector over 30 years on Chinese and modern world coins, it's an adventoure for me to probe a totally different field of coin collecting - the western world ancient coins. What I need most is something to show me the way, to give me an outline, to guide me to the right direction, as well as to keep me interested at the unfamiliar new world.

This book serves my needs exactly as it starts with very basic but substantial introduction to the ancient western cultures which are not familiarized by an oriental like me. Then there are good references provided, among them I appreciated most the last part of Chapter II, "Ancient Coins and the Internet", and also Chapter VI, "Numismatic Literature". Those information show a beginner to a broader view and an easier access in continuing his collection interest.

I would say the most fancinating part of this book is surely Chapter VII, "Identifying Ancient Coins". It's systematically arranged thus I can get a clear picture of different categories of ancient coins, together with fundamental history background of the coin issuers. That is, indeed, far more interesting than just reading a coin catalogue.

For anyone who intends to start ancient coin collecting, this is the book to start with.

This is a great single volume reference on Ancient Coin Collecting. I don't want to repeat what others have written, but I found it to be thorough, well-researched, engaging and well-organized. It will spark your imagination and add to your knowledge base without overwhelming you.

Anyone who has studied languages, particularly difficult ones, knows that repetition, and lots of it, is the key to success. This book and its companions excel in this regard. Vocabulary is chosen carefully and is then used to build graded sentences through example, dialog and narrative which can run to over twenty pages in a single lesson. I wish that I'd had the equivalent when studying Korean and Japanese.
One piece of bad news, however, the text is in traditional characters. This means that at some point you are going to have to make the effort to learn the simplified characters that are used by the bulk of Chinese throughout the world now. However, if you've mastered the texts in this series, that shouldn't be too much of a challenge.

These texts are the seminal series in hanzi erudition. They are great for learning the language, and reading and writing its characters. This one is the second of the first two 'Beginning' texts. I just finished the first. It should be noted that this, the 2nd, is intended to be grouped with the first. The 2nd therefore has the index, dictionary, and other appendices in back. The first only has the first 33 chapters. If considering purchase or already in possession of the first, you might consider ordering this one also.
The book is structured into chapters each presenting 10 base character words, and about 40 compounds derived therefrom. After character and compound presentation, are short example sentances which have english translations. Then there are a few pages of dialogue text, untranslated. Finally are a few pages of narative prose, also untranslated. Then its on to the next chapter with another ten characters. Every sixth chapter is a summary of the last five with some excercises to distinguish similar constructs and prose to excercise reading.
Amazon got the book to me flawlessly of course. Pricewise it was unbeatable, although I bought the first one used for a fraction.

I'm not going to repeat what has already been said but DeFrancis states that this book and volume 2 combined contains 120,000 characters of running text using just 400-500 distinct characters!!! It is this repetition and various presentation of characters in different contexts that I find the most valuable. I am not sure where else you can find such a large number of what is essentially graded readings for beginners.

As many have mentioned before, this is bested used as a supplement to a grammar text.

This book is an excellent means of practicing reading Mandarin chinese in Traditional characters, but has little to no guidance on grammar, pronunciation, or traditional uses. While some self-study types like myself would be tempted to try using just one book at a time, I'd say this would best be used in conjunction with the other books in the series, or one of the software/tape systems for spoken and grammatical chinese.

In the 1960's, while Mr. DeFrancis was working on this series, he wrote an essay called "Why Johnny Can't Read Chinese" (Journal of the Chinese Language Teaching Institute, Volume 1) in which he explains why a book like this is necessary and why he designed it the way he did. The reviews below pretty much restate it - you cannot learn to read Chinese just by memorizing a lot of individual characters.

An example: ben3 means "root" or "self." Lai2 means "come." Di4 means "earth." Ren2 means "man." All simple words. But when combined, could you guess that benlai would mean "originally" or bendi would mean "this country" or benren would mean "myself, yourself, himself"? There are thousands and thousands of combinations of this sort that have to be learned separately from the individual characters or you will have no idea what you're reading.

In addition, I would like to get something off my chest. Everyone tells you Chinese grammar is easy. It isn't! It's just different! Chinese uses word order instead of declensions, tenses, etc., to convey different meanings. If you get the word order wrong, you're saying something completely different from what you wanted to say. People will tell you word order in Chinese is a lot like English, which is true in simple terms, but a very dangerous generalization. "Bu hen hao," for instance, means not very good, but "Hen bu hao" means really bad. "Min2guo2" means republic but "guo2min2" (same characters) means citizen. In any kind of complex sentence (or even in simple ones) you need to be very familiar with common, habitual word order rules. There are too many of them to simply learn by rote. And that's not even mentioning the problem with particles like the infamous "le." You need to read a LOT of Chinese words in context to really learn these grammar rules.

And the DeFrancis Chinese Reader Series has just that. These books are thick! Another reviewer below gave the number of characters in each volume, I think, and you can read above the dimensions of the book, so I won't repeat it here.

The Readers also teach you the cultural significance of a lot of terms, a lot of idiomatic expressions, and a lot of historical and place names. And also I'll make the suggestion that you use these books in combination with his grammar texts, "Beginning Chinese," etc. The audiotapes for the whole series, including the Readers, is available from Seton Hall Language Lab. I don't think you can find any series more thorough.

Some people will tell you these books are out of date because they were written in the late 1960's, but I haven't found that to be a problem at all. Grammar doesn't change much. A few words have changed, but really, you need to know the old words as well as the new. I mean, is anyone saying that English readers can't understand books written 50 years ago? The only form of language that changes that quickly is slang, and you're in trouble if you think that's language learning. Foreign language book publishers are the main culprits here - they want to come out with a new, more expensive edition of their audaciously expensive, well-nigh worthless texts every 5 years. But don't get me started.

The introduction in the beginning of the book makes a lot of good points, but I've used up all my space, so I'll put some quotes in a "Volume 2" review in case you're still wondering if this is the right series for you.

Oh - and do buy Volume 2 along with Volume 1 because, as reviewers have noted below, the index is at the back of Volume 2.

I am not a parent thus, this book allows me an insight into full time parenthood. I was attracted to this book not because it preaches parental duties, rather, I was intrigued by what a child could teach me about life- the title of the edition that I have does not mention trout fishing nor jelly toast. Before I commenced reading this book, I already have preconceived ideas about what these teachings are. Got some of these correct while missing some. One that struck me intensely was the depiction of the elder child wanting to kick a dead squirrel. How real and how many times we want to do the same but never cos' it is not the honorable thing to do, so we think. But kids are more intuitive and unpolluted by the adult notion of what's right and what's wrong. They just do what come to their mind. The search for a good school will strike a chord with any parent struggling to decide which school is best for his/ her child.

If you feel you aren't capable of dealing with the stories Marc brings up in this book, think twice about bringing a child into this world. People register their dogs, doctor's should pass this book out when they talk to woman about having children.

Great book. I too, miss Casey and Owen.

This book is wonderful beyond words. I read it, then my husband read it. We both laughed (I cried) and agreed that it was, indeed, one of the best books we have ever read (and we read quite a bit). Anyone who has children should read this and keep a copy on hand. We have purchased at least five copies and hand them out to friends who are expecting, grandparents, relatives, etc... The writing is great and the subject matter endearing.

Marc Parent knows what it's all about: the small things. Maple syrup and cowboy boots. Autumn leaves and Play Doh. The ironic afternoon on that ordinary Wednesday with the ceaselessly crying baby, the gap-toothed kindergartner, chocolate milk dribbled on the good sofa, no-you-can't-have-another-cookie. And silently pleading for five quiet minutes to write one more paragraph...one more page...daddy will be right there. Although the work at home option is idealized in current society, "Believing It All: What my Children Taught Me About Trout Fishing, Jelly Toast, and Life" provides an accurate yet optimistic viewpoint, observing children with their uncomplicated lives, simple pleasures exchanged all too soon, and the commitment needed to juggle work/family in the same location. A memoir more interested in the everyday nothing that constitutes a life of something, it's surprisingly worth a read for the 20-something childless as well as the harried soccer Mom (or Dad) who can relate entirely too well. Stroller walks, afternoon naps, and tying shoes. The novelty of all the small things which so quickly pass away, yielding to yellow school buses and the Nintendo blur. Laugh, cry, remember, anticipate, and perhaps most of all, face your brood with renewed mirth after an hour of peace and quiet reading alone on that milk-stained sofa.

As a part-time stay-at-home dad, I greatly enjoyed reading "Believing It All". It did take me awhile mostly because I didn't want it to end (also due to frequent diaper changes, nose wiping, sprinkler running cleanup, etc. ) Many of the challenges Marc and Susan faced (and are currently facing) during their two boy's early years will be familiar to parents of young children, but above this I would say this book is a must read for anyone who has children, who is thinking about having children, and who cares about children in any way. This book, I believe, charts a course for a new way of interacting with children and it's the best book I've read in a long time. Keep up the good work, Marc!

Grooks is one of the few books I've read many times. There are some amazing things hidden in this book; I am always finding deeper meanings.

Grooks are short poems, often humorous and sometimes politically correct, but mostly entertaining and accompanied by amusing illustrations

Amazon's listing only shows one of the 5 books that I have in my collection. These are quick (5-10 lines) and easy reads that you can bounce back with friends and loved ones after tea.

You will probably recognize more than one of his "Grooks" (extremely short axiomatic poems accompanied by small humorous illustrations). Almost impossible to describe, just by it if you have a chance.

I read (and owned) this whole series when they first came out, and got in the habit of buying extra copies to give deserving friends. Unfortunately I only still have the first three, due to the trials of moving :-(

It boggles my mind that they are no longer in print, as the wit and wisdom contained in these slender volumes belies the brevity of their format. I heard a rumor that they are going to go back into production sometime soon - if true I will probably buy a dozen of each for goft giving ;-)

Read the Innocent Man and thought I could never be moved so much by a book-really a life story. Saw the movie The Exonerated and heard about Kerry's life. I started reading the book for about 2 hrs a few nights ago... Last night I actually read from 9 pm to 3 am and then got up snowy day here) and read from 8 am finishing the book. I felt I couldn't put the book down until this whole ordeal was over-like my not finishing it still had held him in a deplorable state on Death Rown. When he is handed his belongings and the 1.28 check from his Trust Fund I bawled like a baby. I never really thought this was a just world but never really considered how injust men could be. Amazing life story of a man overcoming and rising above horrendous acts of injustice!
A Must Read!

A first-hand account of how and why innocent men and women can spend decades on death row in the United States that should be read and discussed by both pro-death penalty proponents as well as abolitionists.
Kerry Max Cook is a modern Dante/ Job. His story is of one who travels to hell and back, physically, spiritually, and emotionally, but who in the end has the strength to emerge as an enlightened, if wounded human being. The tortures he endures after being wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a young woman he only knew casually are simply inconceivable. Not only does he have to contend with the fear of losing his life on a daily basis, (the fear of execution, and the fear of being stabbed) but he also must survive psychologically the tragic deaths of loved ones in the outside world while he is in prison.
The depth of police and prosecutorial misconduct Kerry describes is nothing less than infuriating, shocking. Yet, the presentation of his case is not intended to be an ideological rant against "the system." Merely by stating the facts, Kerry can convince us of the depth of the flaws.
Besides being an eye-opening account into injustice, Kerry's book is also
told in a way that draws us close to him, a human tale that cuts deeply into our hearts. It is a face-paced read that will keep you turning the pages, one that will haunt you and make you want to live each day of your own freedom to the fullest.

Kerry Cook had a few scrapes with law enforcement as a teenager in a small Texas town - joyriding, kicking out the windows of a store that falsely accused him of armed robbery. Thus, police "knew" they had their man when his fingerprints were found at the scene of a grisly murder.

The abuse of justice started immediately, continued for two decades, and nearly ended with Cook's execution. First it was merely physical - police slamming him into a wall, holding his head underwater in a toilet, arranged beatings by fellow prisoners, refusing showers and clothing, and sleep deprivation to force Kerry to confess. More serious abuses then occurred - withholding evidence from Kerry's attorneys, coaching witnesses to slant/fabricate testimony against Kerry, providing scientifically unfounded testimony that "aged" Kerry's prints to the time of murder, solicited false testimony from fellow inmates that Kerry had confessed - culminating to Kerry's arrival on Death Row in 1978. There Kerry was raped three times, and attempted suicide after each. Then his appeal stalled for eight years, and ultimately was denied.

Finally, things started to go Kerry's way. The prisoner who initially testified Kerry confessed, decided to come clean. An FBI expert provided an affidavit stating that scientific fingerprint "aging" was not possible, information was uncovered that a pathologist had told police that the victim's librarian prior boyfriend had ordered a book describing how she had been mutilated (police ignored, and did not provide to Kerry's defense), the major Dallas newspaper printed a major expose of how Kerry had been railroaded, a foundation funded Kerry's successful re-appeal.

The judge in the retrial, however, prohibited introducing most of this new evidence, the foundation funding Kerry's defense ran out of money (his attorney worked pro bono, but could not afford expert witnesses), and after a mistrial (deadlocked jury) and third trial it was back to Death Row for Kerry.

Fortunately, this conviction was reversed again, and Kerry was offered a "No Contest" plea in exchange for time served. His initial decision was to refuse and go back to trial - however, Kerry accepted the deal after learning that the potential jurors generally thought he had gotten out on a technicality and that they were there to "make it right." Finally, after being freed, results of a DNA test came back, exonerating Kerry and pinning the crime on the librarian originally identified by an eyewitness who had been coerced by prosecutors to change her testimony. Yet, prosecutors continued to contest his exoneration when interviewed.

Kerry, however, is not blameless in this miscarriage. Throughout the trials he lied about how his fingerprints got on the victim's door, instead of simply admitting she had invited him up there. (Kerry claims his father told him not to admit this; however, such an action makes no sense whatsoever.) Finally, while Kerry also should be commended for writing the book himself, continually referring to his parents as "momma" and "daddy" was both infantile and aggravating.

Bottom Line: This book seriously questions the wisdom of the death penalty in America.

I have read the book twice. This is a first hand account of one of the worst cases of injustice in American History. Kerry Max Cook has brilliantly written his own book about life before and after death row and the scars that he still carries with him from the experience. I highly recommend this book to all. I have already bought copies for all my friends.

Kerry Max Cook met young Linda Edwards in 1977 and was invited back to her apartment for a drink, where he left his fingerprints on the sliding glass door. Four days later, Ms. Edwards was found brutally murdered, and Cook was immediately arrested for the crime. In one of the worst examples of police and prosecutorial misconduct in American history, Kerry Max was put to trial with coached prosecutorial witnesses, bunk expert testimony about the "age" (six to twelve hours) of the fingerprint, and suppressed evidence that would have favored the defense. The state declared that Kerry Max was a repressed homosexual (at a time when homosexuality was a mental illness, and in rural Texas, no less) who raped and butchered a female out of repressed rage - a theory, incredibly, they stuck to even during re-trials two decades later, in the 1990's!

Chasing Justice is the story of the framing of Kerry Max by the Texas justice system. The narrative was written in Kerry's own hand (1,200 pages at first draft) and condensed into a powerfully personal 350-page account of life on death row - desperation, abandonment, rape and sodomy, stabbings, and attempted suicide. The prose isn't depressing; rather, Kerry Max just fights on, always waiting for the next turn, building his cadre of supporters. Texas death row has been ruled in federal court to constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Kerry Max fought for a full two decades for his freedom, through three outrageous trials, with not a penny to his name. While the major Dallas newspaper was decrying the railroading of an innocent man, he was convicted again and again and again. To date, he is still not eligible for reparations from the state of Texas because he has not been officially pardoned, which would require the unanimous concurrence several bureaucratic offices unwilling to admit their culpability in the grave trespass of justice against Kerry Max Cook. (By the way, the state spent $5 - $7 million over two decades in their effort to execute Kerry Max).

The reader will question - why Kerry Max? In his book, the author does not devote his energies to answering why, rather, he uses his energy to fight. From some brief research on the case, I have determined that the real culprit hired a very expensive, well-connected good ol' boy lawyer, requiring the police to find another suspect to satisfy the anger of the community. I can only begin to wonder how the Texas justice system conspired for 20 years to keep an innocent man behind bars. During each of his three trials, judges continually approved motions by the prosecutor and denied those of the defense, even to the point at which the court had contradicted itself on which evidence should be suppressed or allowed and for what reason!

Kerry Max's remarkable story is a damning indictment of the death penalty and the Texas justice system. Right before the publication of his memoir, national crime show Body of Evidence: From the Case Files of Dayle Hinman featured forensic experts "solving" the Edwards murder based on false evidence from the prosecution. Even 10 years have Kerry Max's exoneration in the national eye, misinformation is still being spread by those in power. Kerry Max Cook's experiences should serve as clear warning not to blindly accept the word of authority.

This should be required reading for anyone in a leadership position. Dr. Deming is the "father" of the Japanese business revolution that took place after WWII.

Timothy Kendrick Author-PTSD: Pathways Through the Secret Door

Mr. Aguayo writes as one who studies the efforts to produce quality, from an MBA, trained in the field, to view and review the management training in the US with that taught to the Japanese by Deming. His insightful examples and comparisons are invaluable to the reader, in furthering our understanding for the need to improve quality. Quality not as a product, but as a means and total way of life.

The Quality is far beyond a simple theory. It is a vision of the life and how it must be lived .
There is a powerful statement of the Samurai code : Do not make anything useless.
And this is the way you get close mre and more to the essential doctrine and quality philosophy .
Deming was a pioneer in this sense, because he knew to establish patterns of behavior and systematic direction for an issue that mostly of the real artists own in his inner world .
His reading is absolutely recommended for any kind of reader .
And his presence must be a perpetuum mobile for the management no matter your discipline field is!

Although I agree the book is dated in its examples, etc...

This book captures the essence of the way at looking at quality, no matter what field you may be in. The examples are dated, but the simple premise of what the book discusses is as important as ever today. The companies I have worked for since graduation from college (1992) still haven't come close to thinking of quality as described, and it was a hot topic in my production management classes during that time. The readability of the book is excellent; real-world (not classroom) analysis that keeps you interested in the subject without confusion.

The one dis-heartening (sp.) thing in this book is that for low- and mid-level managers, it's difficult to be an agent of change when nobody else believes or is comitted to this practice. Everywhere I've been so far still put too much emphasis on things that Deming calls crazy. I'll leave that for a management effectiveness book to discuss, but it's a read that anybody would find useful.

This is a good that has stood the test of time that is very useful for those who need a gentle introduction to Total Quality Management. Although the book is about 15 years old with some rather dated examples, the message it gives is still relevant and important.

The book written in plain language that focus on the essential quality and productivity message without statistical abstractions, which make it easily understandable to a wide readership. Those readers that have not read Deming's "Out of the Crisis" or Mary Walton's "Deming Management Method" will benefit the most from reading this book.